The Howard Lady Bison were announced as one of the 16 teams to compete in the 2011 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) announced today.

Baylor, Notre Dame, and UCLA headline the field that also includes Akron, Chattanooga, Detroit, Drexel, Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU), Hartford, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, and UAB.

The Howard Lady Bison, runners-up at the 2011 MEAC Women's Basketball championship tournament finished last season 16-18 and will return conference Player of the Year Saadia Doyle for her junior season. Howard returns all five of their starters for their first appearance in the Preseason WNIT.

Last season the defending MEAC regular season and tournament champion Hampton Lady Pirates represented the MEAC in the preseason WNIT tournament defeating James Madison, 69-64, before falling to UNC-Charlotte, 67-54, in the consolation round.

The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 11 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 13-14; semifinals will be Nov. 16-17; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 20.  Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 18-19. All games are hosted by participating schools.